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Community reeling after teenage girl shoots, kills self in Florida high school auditorium

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Updated: 11:26 AM EDT Mar 14, 2019

Community reeling after teenage girl shoots, kills self in Florida high school auditorium

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Updated: 11:26 AM EDT Mar 14, 2019

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IT WAS CLEAR THERE WAS NO THREAT TO OTHERS. WESH 2’S DAVE MCDANIEL HAS BEEN AT THE SCHOOL SINCE THE EARLY MORNING INCIDENT AND JOINS US NOW LIVE. DAVE: A SINGLE GUNSHOT LED TO A BRIEF CODE RED ON THE LAKE MARY CAMPUS. SO FAR, THE INVESTIGATORS ARE NOT RELEASING THE NAME OF THE 17-YEAR-OLD 11TH GRADER, BUT THEY ARE WORKING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT DROVE THIS STUDENT TO SUCH A VIOLENT ACT. THE TWO DEPUTIES ASSIGNED TO CAMPUS WERE WITH THE STUDENT WITHIN A MINUTE OF THE SHOOTING, BUT WERE STILL TOO LATE. >> A 17-YEAR-OLD 11TH GRADE STUDENT COMMITTED SUICIDE BY THE USE OF A HANDGUN, IN THE AUDITORIUM BUILDING ON CAMPUS. SHERIFF DENNIS LEMMA SAYS THE 11TH GRADER ASKED IF SHE COULD LEAVE HER CLASS A FEW MINUTES BEFORE 8:00 TO USE THE RESTROOM INSTEAD GOING TO AN ISOLATED AREA OF THE AUDITORIUM BUILDING, FIRING ONE SHOT. >> NOBODY KNEW, WE JUST HEARD A GUNSHOT, THE AUDITORIUM HEARD A GUNSHOT AND EVERYONE STARTED RUNNING AND STUFF AND JUST SCATTERING. >> THERE WAS AN ISOLATED INCIDENT REPORTED ON CAMPUS THAT REQUIRED THE SCHOOL TO BE LOCKED DOWN. DAVE: THAT CALL QUICKLY WENT OUT TO PARENTS, AND DESPITE THE ASSURANCE THAT ALL THE OTHER STUDENTS WERE SAFE, PARENTS LINED UP TO TAKE THEIR KIDS HOME. ONLY ABOUT 300 STAYED FOR THE SCHOOL DAY. >> I RECEIVED MANY CALLS FROM THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, SO THEY SAY THE STUDENTS ARE SAFE AND IN THE CLASSROOM, THEY DID A GOOD JOB. >> WE WERE ALL FREAKING OUT, SO I JUST RAN TO A CLASSROOM AND SAT THERE FOR TWO MINUTES. DAVE: THE SHERIFF SAYS THEY’LL LOOK AT SOCIAL MEDIA AND INTERVIEW FRIENDS AND FAMILY OF THE STUDENT, HOPING TO LEARN WHAT LED TO THIS. ALSO A PRIORITY? >> FIND OUT WHOSE GUN IT WAS, HOW THEY GOT IN POSSESSION OF THIS GUN, AND LOOK TO TRY AND TAKE CORRECTIVE ACTION. DAVE: LEMMA SAYS HE PLANS TO HAVE A LONG TALK WITH HIS KIDS, ENCOURAGES ALL OF US TO DO THE SAME WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY. >> IF YOU KNOW SOMEBODY WHO’S STRUGGLING OR SUFFERING, PLEASE REACH OUT AND TALK TO SOMEBODY. DAVE: GRIEF COUNSELORS WERE ON CAMPUS TODAY AND THEY WILL BE TOMORROW AND FRIDAY. SCHOOL AT LAKE MARY HIGH IS CANCELLED FOR TOMORROW, AND FRIDAY WAS SCHEDULED TO BE AN OFF DAY BECAUSE OF SPRING BREAK. COUNSELORS WILL BE ON CAMPUS THURSDAY AND FRIDAY, EVEN WITH NO CLASSES BEING HELD. LIVE IN LAKE MAR

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Community reeling after teenage girl shoots, kills self in Florida high school auditorium

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Updated: 11:26 AM EDT Mar 14, 2019

A Florida school was briefly placed on lockdown Wednesday morning after a student killed herself with a handgun on campus.Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma said a 17-year-old junior shot herself in the Lake Mary High School auditorium. The student asked to leave class to use the restroom around 7:45 a.m. A teacher reported hearing the gunshot about five minutes later. The school was immediately placed on a code red lockdown following the reports of a gunshot. School officials notified parents with a recorded call. Lemma said the girl's parents have been contacted by deputies. Lemma said it does not appear as though any students or faculty witnessed the girl's death. Investigators said they are looking into how the student got the gun and how she brought it onto campus. Parents were allowed to pick up their students after word of the incident began to spread across campus. School officials said classes for Thursday have been canceled, but grief counselors will be available in the media center from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Grief counselors will also be on campus from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Friday. Students who drove themselves to school were allowed to leave campus on an honor system.School officials said there will be no access to campus through the school's main entrance. The student suicide is the second at a Central Florida school in the past year and a half. In November of 2017, a 17-year-old student fatally shot himself at Lake Minneola High School. Family, friends and staff members are in a state of mourning.It's a sobering reminder that mental health can often be overlooked."It's incredibly important to have an open and honest conversation with your children about how they might be feeling about today," said Tara Sullivan, Central and South Florida area director for American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.Experts agree one of the most important things people can do is talk with their children.Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States.FIND HELP:A 24/7 toll-free number is 1-800-273-8255. Known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, it connects people to local crisis centers and has national backup centers to answer calls. USA Today has explained what happens when it's called and noted the service respects anonymity.Another 24/7 free service, Crisis Text Line, connects people with a real-life crisis counselor to help in the moment. Text HOME to 741741 from anywhere in the U.S. for support.

LAKE MARY, Fla. —

A Florida school was briefly placed on lockdown Wednesday morning after a student killed herself with a handgun on campus.

Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma said a 17-year-old junior shot herself in the Lake Mary High School auditorium. The student asked to leave class to use the restroom around 7:45 a.m. A teacher reported hearing the gunshot about five minutes later.

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The school was immediately placed on a code red lockdown following the reports of a gunshot. School officials notified parents with a recorded call. Lemma said the girl's parents have been contacted by deputies.

Lemma said it does not appear as though any students or faculty witnessed the girl's death.

Investigators said they are looking into how the student got the gun and how she brought it onto campus.

Parents were allowed to pick up their students after word of the incident began to spread across campus.

School officials said classes for Thursday have been canceled, but grief counselors will be available in the media center from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Grief counselors will also be on campus from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Friday.

Students who drove themselves to school were allowed to leave campus on an honor system.

School officials said there will be no access to campus through the school's main entrance.

"It's incredibly important to have an open and honest conversation with your children about how they might be feeling about today," said Tara Sullivan, Central and South Florida area director for American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

Experts agree one of the most important things people can do is talk with their children.

Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States.

FIND HELP:

A 24/7 toll-free number is 1-800-273-8255. Known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, it connects people to local crisis centers and has national backup centers to answer calls. USA Today has explained what happens when it's called and noted the service respects anonymity.

Another 24/7 free service, Crisis Text Line, connects people with a real-life crisis counselor to help in the moment. Text HOME to 741741 from anywhere in the U.S. for support.